Tyranny: By-Product of SSM

Tyranny: The high cost of legalizing same-sex marriage (SSM)

Since 2003 when provincial courts began usurping the authority of elected representatives by legislating from the bench on homosexual “marriage”, Christians who publicly disagreed with homosexuality became the targets of persecution and tyranny. This accelerated after June 28, 2005 when Canada’s parliament passed a law to abolish the true definition of marriage.

Below is a partial list of documented cases of persecution and/or oppression in Canada. These human rights violations resulted directly from SSM, which afforded the oppressive actions a type of ‘moral legitimacy’.

Year

Documented Case of Persecution and/or Oppression in Canada

Oct 2003

Just 3 months after British Columbia legalizes homosexual marriage, a lesbian couple files a human rights complaint against a Roman Catholic men’s organization for refusing to rent them a hall for their same-sex “wedding.” The BC Human Rights Tribunal demands that the Knights of Columbus award the lesbian couple $2000 damages “for injury to their dignity, feelings and self-respect”. This ruling gives homosexuals an invented, special right that ordinary Canadians do not have: the right to not be offended. Say goodbye to freedom of religion, Knights!

Dec 2003

Chris Kempling, a BC educator, is cited by BC’s College of Teachers for ‘professional misconduct’ and has his teaching license suspended for a month. His crime? While off duty, on his personal time, he wrote to a local newspaper outlining Christian teaching on homosexuality. Kempling was subsequently suspended for 3 months for appearing as a witness before parliament, during the federal debate on SSM. Kempling spent well over $100,000 appealing the teaching suspension through Canada’s court system. Say goodbye to freedom of speech, Chris!

Jun 2004

Calgary Bishop Fred Henry is contacted by the Canadian government’s Customs and Revenue Agency. He is threatened with the possibility of losing his church’s charitable tax status. This was in response to a pastoral letter written by the Bishop to his flock, in which he pointed out that it was wrong of a Catholic political leader to support abortion and gay marriage legislation.

Sep 16 2004

The same day that an activist judge legalizes SSM in Manitoba, letters were sent to all 600 of Manitoba’s marriage commissioners informing them that they must be prepared to perform the ceremony for homosexual partners or turn in their licences. This was a clear violation of their human rights (religious freedom, conscience), as guaranteed in Canada’s Charter of Rights & Freedoms.

Nov 3 2004

In Port Coquitlam, BC, David Hauser alleges he is fired from his day job at Costco due to his Catholic beliefs on homosexuality. A member of the Knights of Columbus, he was the person in charge of renting the fraternity's hall for weddings and other events, and was involved in denying two lesbians the facility for their same-sex "wedding." The lesbian who was denied the use of the hall was a co-worker of Hauser’s. Hauser alleges his firing was punishment for denying the Catholic hall to the lesbians. The boss who dismisses him is also openly gay, and a friend of the lesbian activist who filed the complaint against Hauser. With the dismissal, Hauser, a father of two, is unable to find other work and risks losing his home.

Nov 2004

The Saskatchewan Department of Justice instructs marriage commissioners they will be required to conduct same-sex ceremonies, regardless of their religious beliefs. This follows the Nov 5th ruling by an activist judge that traditional marriage “violates the Charter of Rights”.

In an attempt to take away an outspoken religious leader’s right to free speech and religious freedom, a gay activist files a human rights complaint against Calgary’s Catholic Bishop, Rev. Fred Henry, for writing a pastoral letter to his own flock, outlining the opposition of the Catholic Church to SSM. The Bishop is forced to spend thousands of dollars defending himself,and has his reputation pummeled in the media.

May 2 2005

A Saskatchewan man, Bill Whatcott, is charged by a human rights tribunal with alleged “hate speech” and ordered to pay $17,500 in damages to several homosexuals who complained of “hurt feelings”. His alleged crime was distributing a flyer in Regina which contained warnings against the dangers of a homosexual lifestyle. In true “thought police” fashion, the tribunal imposes a “lifetime speaking ban” on Whatcott, preventing him from ever again speaking publicly against homosexuality. Amazingly, the Saskatchewan appeal court subsequently upholds this ludicrous violation of Whatcott’s Charter right to free speech.

Jun 28 2005

Against the will of the majority of Canadian the ruling federal Liberal government abolishes the true definition of marriage and family across the nation by ramming through Bill C-38, an act to redefine marriage. The unelected judges deliver a lightning fast ruling which makes it clear they did not even bother to read the overwhelming amount of testimony and social science research presented during the trial against the redefinition of marriage and family. Immediately following this federal law, the homosexual lobby begins to assert itself aggressively into the public education system, demanding that their lifestyle be presented and normalized to all children, under the auspices of “human rights”. The soft language of “tolerance” formerly used by gay-activists and their media allies begins to fade away and is replaced by regular charges of “bigotry” against traditional marriage supporters.

Jun 1 2006

BC’s Ministry of Education announces it will incorporate positive teaching about homosexuality as a mandatory part of school curricula from kindergarten to Gr. 12. Furthermore, the existing right to opt-out their kids from “sensitive” classroom lessons will be taken away from parents, whenever the topic discussed involves homosexuality.

Jun 2006

In Kamloops, BC a city councillor’s barber shop is vandalized with “Homophobia Die” scrawled on the doors of his business, after having opposed a homosexual pride proclamation during a City Council meeting and in media interviews. The devoutly Catholic city councillor, John DeCicco, had stated his belief that homosexuality is “not normal and not natural”. Then in August, a gay-activist couple launched a human rights complaint against DeCicco. The HRC forces DeCicco to apologize and pay the gay activists $1000.

Feb 2007

Rob Wells, a homosexual activist associated with the Pride Centre of Edmonton, files a ‘human rights’ complaint against Catholic Insight Magazine. Wells alleges the magazine made "negative generalizations" about homosexuals. The Catholic publication, already struggling financially, has to raise $30,000 in legal defence fees and is almost forced into bankruptcy. Meanwhile Wells’ legal bill is covered by taxpayers. This unfair rule is a weapon for gay-activists who seek to silence critics of their lifestyle by simply overwhelming them with legal bills, at no cost to themselves. Say goodbye to freedom of the press, Canada!

Nov 2007

The Alberta Human Rights Commission (HRC) rules against a Christian pastor, Stephen Boisson, for publishing an article in the Red Deer Advocate newspaper wherein he criticized the goals of the homosexual political movement. The HRC orders the pastor to publicly apologize for his comments and also threatens that if he does not apologize, it would use its power to ban news outlets from publishing any future letters to the editor by Boisson.

Apr 15 2008

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario orders an Evangelical Christian ministry to cease using an employment contract which includes a ‘morality statement’ in which staff promise they will not engage in immoral behaviour including adultery, viewing or reading pornography, lying and "homosexual relationships." Christian Horizons is an evangelical Christian ministry which provides care and residential services to developmentally disabled individuals. Furthermore, CH is fined $23,000+ for dismissing a woman who violated the terms of her employment agreement by entering into a homosexual relationship after having signed the contract. The Human Rights Tribunal also orders CH to subject all its staff to pro-gay indoctrination courses under the guise of “ensuring compliance with human rights codes”. Say hello to totalitarianism, Ontario!

Jun 2008

Saskatchewan Marriage Commissioner, Orville Nichols, 71, is fined $2500 by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal for refusing to "marry" two men based on his Christian beliefs.

Apr 6 2009

Ontario’s Ministry of Education mandates a policy that would force Catholic schools to violate Church teaching. It requires that every school board in Ontario, Catholic and public, implement a new ‘equity and inclusiveness’ policy by September 2010. The initiative would force Ontario's Catholic school boards to recognize “sexual orientation” as a ground protected from discrimination. That however, contradicts official Catholic teaching which says “Sexual orientation does not constitute a quality comparable to race, ethnic background, etc. in respect to non-discrimination. Unlike these, homosexual orientation is an objective disorder and evokes moral concern.” The Vatican has warned that such a recognition is usually part and parcel with the outright promotion of homosexuality. Indeed, the Ontario initiative suggests that every school set up a “Gay/Straight Alliance” group.

Jan 2010

Ontario’s Ministry of Education mandates a radical curriculum for grades 1 to 8 that promotes homosexuality and masturbation as “normal”, teaches that “some families have two moms or two dads”, and suggests a lesson for grade 7 in which students are encouraged to keep a spare condom handy, just in case. A Ministry representative says this curriculum will be mandatory for Catholic and public schools, despite the fact this clearly violates Catholic teaching, not to mention the religious values of many, if not most, parents in public schools.

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), an Ontario public board, announces that parents will no longer be allowed to opt-out their child from class when topics of homosexuality are brought up in the classroom, regardless of their religious or cultural beliefs. Say hello to tyranny, Hamilton!

May 2011

A private company, Rogers Sportsnet, fires a Catholic man from his job, allegedly for his personal tweet, on his personal time, in support of the true definition of marriage. Mr. Damian Goddard was employed as a television sports broadcaster for Rogers Sportsnet, which is based out of Toronto. On May 10th, while at home on a day off, he tweeted a simple message in support of the true definition of marriage from his personal twitter account. Within the hour, his employer sent out a tweet distancing itself from Goddard’s personal views. After another hour, his employer phoned him at home asking if he could come into the office for a meeting. The next day when Goddard arrived at the meeting, he was told he was being dismissed. Goddard appealed his case to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal on the grounds of discrimination, but unbelievably, the tribunal rejected his claim. With this case, we see the beginnings of anti-Christian discrimination now being institutionalized systemically in the work place, thanks to homosexual “marriage”.

Feb 2013

The Saskatchewan (Human Rights Commission) v. Whatcott case winds its way to the Supreme Court of Canada. On February 27, a chilling decision is handed down by the court which many pro-family and free speech advocates regard as “a monumental blow against freedom of speech, opinion, and religion across the country”. In effect, the court states that criticism of the homosexual lifestyle, can indeed be considered a ‘hate crime’. The court rejects as a possible defence against a hate speech accusation, the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church to “love the sinner but not the sin”, ruling that when it comes to homosexual sex, criticism of “behavior” is to be deemed the same as an attack on homosexual persons. The judges even opine that truth is no defense. In effect, this court ruling outlaws public expression of biblical teaching against homosexual acts.

Mar 2013

A government official in Yukon, a northern Canadian territory, orders a Catholic high school to delete a Catholic diocesan policy on ministry to students with same-sex attraction from its website. The policy, in addition to teaching that same-sex attracted students must be treated with respect and dignity, also reaffirms Catholic doctrine stating that homosexual acts are sinful. Under threat of punitive government action, the Bishop objected but ultimately complied with the state’s coercive verdict.

May 2013

A Canadian real estate agency, Re/Max, fires a Catholic employee for promoting the traditional family. Andrew Ciastek, who immigrated to Canada years ago and speaks with a heavy Polish accent, was fired after Re/Max learned that one of his promotional flyers included, amongst other articles of general interest, one which pointed to scientific research findings that children do better with both a mother and father in comparison to homosexual parenting. So much for tolerance and diversity!

In conjunction with the 2011 Goddard case, we see that the systemic impoverishment of Christians is well underway in Canada by supporters of homosexual ‘marriage’. Those Canadians who are found to adhere to a biblical view of marriage and the family are being discriminated against in employment. They are losing the right to earn a living and the ability to provide for their families.